Inugami (Family)
"Man's Best Friend" Inugami family motto Inugami Hatchi Hatchi (Hat-chan) was a simple Onmyou with an obsession with dogs which served as a biologist under the Mikado. His key report, "On the Importance of Dogs to Mankind and Cultural Evolution of Pre-Modern Societies", was a smash hit amongst the important families of the early Empire, especially with some of the thinking heads of the early Onmyouji. Not a military man and not a man to demand rewards, Inugami thought his services had been noted and felt this was reward enough for him, when the Mikado ordered him to create, and maintain, a dog breeding program for the Empire. Having to create a large number of breeds and specifically manage the creation of various types of work dogs, Hat-chan was granted lands and the manpower he needed to the accomplish his task. The Inugami family is now one of those minor Sons of Heaven family with less political power than some Warrior Caste family, but which influence can be felt anywhere in the Empire. As soon as a local peasant call his trusty shepherd dog, when a samurai lets his guard dogs loose after a thief or a temple has one of their lion-dog petted by a children, the Inugami had their hand in this. The kennels of the Inugami constantly work on perfecting the animal form, like the ancient Onmyou worked on perfecting the human form to create the first Son of Heaven. The Inugami family The Inugami is less of a family and more of a regroupment of like-minded Onmyou. While the family itself exist and persists since the founding of the Empire, whenever a member of the family marries outside of their ruled region, they usually take the family name of the group they have married into. One of the main draw of "newblood" to the family comes from adoption of any Onmyou that finds an interest in biology, especially in the breeding of animals. While they do specialize in the breeding of dogs, the Inugami do have many side projects, like the improvement of various types of hawks and falcons used for hunting or the breeding of new types of felines, especially house cats to hunt and eliminate rodents around important regions of the Empire. Inugami "research centers" are spread throughout the Empire, even though the majority of them are centered around their traditional region. Young Inugami boys and girls are usually encouraged to follow in the tradition of the family and work in research and biology, but quite a few also take on religious vows and join the general Onmyouji or a specific Shrine dedicated to animal spirits. Very few of them end up serving in the Imperial military, except for the few hotheaded ones that bring a few war dogs with them for good measure. Lordship and territory The Inugami's land is a small strip of land sandwiched between the Nittan and the old Ganizoku lands, an elevated plain covered in small forests and grassland. Dog raising and sheep herding are the two main economic activities of the region, with the first being the very reason for the Inugami's presence in the region. Wool export have raised drastically in the mid-19th century, along with the primary transformation of the fiber with tinctures traded with the Nittan, Islanders and imported from the Plains. Population is very sparse, with only 2 major cities on the territory, and the vast majority of the population lives in villages and kennel towns. The Inugami have a very minor military force, relying mainly on the protection of the Tiger in the South and the Peregrine in the North, and seeing how much of the local region is extremely peaceful except for the occasional bandit raid, there is very little need for a military presence in Inugami territory. That is not to say that they are without a military force, however. Samurai dog trainers train combat dogs as well as all other kinds of breeds, and if need be, an army of a few hundred men can be accompanied by close to double the number of war dogs, more than enough to tear apart any courageous ronin war band. As they are ruling by Imperial Decree , the Inugami are not responsible for their own territory in the same way as other families. The collection of taxes and magistrate control is managed entirely by the Imperial Bureaucracy, leaving the local lords to managing their own affair. This makes the local peasantry very appreciative of their masters, but also makes the cities of the Dog family a "tax haven" for powerful merchant families, which uses them as a place to hide much of their wealth away from higher taxation of local powers. The Inugami, due to their origin, are mainly servants of the Way of the Stars, but their constant dealing with dogs have led them to have very close ties with the Brotherhood of the Dog and the Amaterasu's Chosen , giving them a good foothold in the world of spirits and spirit worshipping. Allied and lord families The Inugami had any vassals, prefering to keep to their own thing. While they are mainly independent, they can easily slip into being a vassal of the Peregrine or the Tiger, depending on their current set of alliances or treaties, but the Imperial Decree stating their role means that they are not allowed to actually be vassalized by one of the more powerful families. This is probably what kept the Inugami the safest over the years. Rivals and enemies The Inugami have never had any major enemies, except other local lords that coveted their rich farmland, but none of them could ever muster the desire to attack a family protected directly by an Imperial Decree with such close ties with the Tiger and Peregrine. Important members of the family #Early 21st century * Category:Great Families Category:Nittan Category:Tarigani